The Catalan Socialists propose a constitutional self-determination referendum but the Spanish Socialists are opposed

Barcelona (ACN).- On Sunday the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) approved its electoral programme for the next Catalan elections, to be held on the 25^th of November. For the first time, the PSC, which is Catalonia’s second largest party, defends the organisation of a self-determination referendum, although they oppose Catalonia’s independence from Spain. The PSC presented itself as a third option “between the recentralisation of the People’s Party (PP) and the independence of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU)”, as its Secretary General and candidate for President of the Catalan Government, Pere Navarro stated. The PSC proposes the reformation of the current Spanish Constitution in order to build a federal Spain, in which Catalonia would have its “singularity” respected. The PSC’s constitutional reform would allow a self-determination referendum to be called. However, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) – to which the PSC is federated – opposes the possibility of legalising self-determination referendums. The PSOE’s Secretary General, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, said in a radio interview on Monday that he “does not share” the PSC’s “right to decide [on Catalonia’s own future] formula”. Rubalcaba stated that he supports the reformation of the Constitution “through a maximum consensus”, going in “a federal direction”. Besides the independence debate, the PSC focuses its programme on the economic crisis and stopping the budget cuts in the public health and education systems. Navarro stated that austerity measures “can be different” to those already implemented, reinforcing “social cohesion”.

On Sunday, the PSC’s National Council approved its electoral programme with almost 400 affirmative votes, 4 abstentions and 1 negative vote. The party’s Secretary General and candidate to become the next Catalan President, Pere Navarro, stated that “the priority” for the next term is “the constitutional reform to move forward on building a Federal State”, transforming the current Spanish State, which is divided into 17 Autonomous Communities, into a fully federal country. Navarro added that they defend this project based on two principles: “legality” and Catalonia’s “right to decide” on its own future. This means that the Catalan Socialists “engage in promoting the required reforms to allow Catalan citizens to exercise their right to decide [on Catalonia’s independence from Spain] via a referendum agreed on a legal framework”, explained Navarro.

It is the first time that the PSC supports the organisation of a self-determination referendum. In September, the PSC voted against a motion in the Catalan Parliament urging the organisation of such a referendum within the next four years. Since the 11^th September’s massive demonstration asking for Catalonia’s independence from Spain – in which 1.5 million citizens participated according to local police - many opinion polls have been issued on the issue, indicating that between 74% and 81% of Catalans would be in favour of organising a self-determination referendum. In the light of such polls, Catalonia’s political climate and the PSC’s own internal debate, the party has changed its official stance and now defends the organisation of such a referendum, although within the Spanish legal framework. Currently, the Spanish Constitution requires the referendum to be approved by the Spanish Government, which has already stated it would not authorise it. Furthermore, some legal experts linked to the Spanish nationalism say that in any case the Constitution would not allow the organisation of such a referendum, as sovereignty is only related to the Spanish people as a whole. In fact, instead of “facing” the claim expressed by many Catalan citizens, the Spanish Government “has responded with a recentralisation offensive”, said Navarro. For these and other reasons, the PSC defends reforming the Constitution as a prior step to organising the referendum.

The PSOE opposes the self-determination referendum

However, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) does not agree with the PSC on the organisation of a self-determination referendum. On the contrary, the PSOE completely opposes the idea. In a radio interview, the PSOE’s leader explained that they “do not share” the PSC’s proposal of a referendum. However they respect the PSC’s proposal, as the PSOE is represented in Catalonia by the PSC and they are “two different parties”. Nevertheless, Rubalcaba emphasised that “what is being debated in Catalonia is whether Catalonia leaves or remains in Spain, if it gets independence or not, this is the debate”. “In this debate, the PSC is unequivocally with the PSOE” in saying ‘no’ to independence, he added. “On this we are completely in agreement”, he concluded. Furthermore, Rubalcaba stated that they agree with the PSC on the need to reform the Spanish Constitution to move forward “in a federal direction”. The PSOE has started to talk again about a federal Spain since a few weeks ago, since the massive demonstration asking for Catalonia’s independence. However, the PSOE wants “the maximum consensus” to reform the Constitution, “talking with everybody”, and “particularly with the People’s Party (PP)”. In this sense, Rubalcaba lamented that the PP and CiU’s leader, Mariano Rajoy and Artur Mas respectively, have been unable to reach an agreement, “despite governing together for one and a half years”.

Navarro’s four Rs

Navarro presented its electoral programme and emphasised that it is based on “four Rs”: “the recognition of Spain as a plurinational state”; “the rules” clearly allocating competences; “the representation” in order to transform the Senate into a territorial chamber; and “the resources”, which should be distributed following the principles of sufficiency, justice and solidarity. This means “reaching a Federal State that guarantees the maximum self-government levels for Catalonia” and a better and more transparent fiscal redistribution scheme.

The PSC promises to stop budget cuts in healthcare and education

In addition, the PSC’s electoral programme focuses on the economic crisis and austerity measures. Navarro proposed “a different austerity”, based on “social cohesion”, “with everybody on board”. The PSC’s Secretary General promised that he “will not cut the healthcare and education” budgets. Navarro strongly criticised the Catalan Government’s budget cuts and asked for a “fairer” taxation system. “The working and middle classes should not be the only ones paying” for the crisis, he emphasised.

The PSC’s electoral fall

The PSC is going through a long transition period, which started two years ago when it left the Catalan Government – which had been running for seven years (2003-2010) with the Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party (ERC) and the Catalan Green and Communist Coalition (ICV-EUiA) together. Last September it changed its leadership and Pere Navarro, who was close to the former party leadership, became the new Secretary General. In recent years, and especially since Navarro’s leadership, the PSC has turned towards a more pro-Spanish stance, by marginalising its more pro-Catalan members. However, the PSC was born in the late 1970s as the union of 3 Socialist Parties: two Catalan parties and the PSOE in Catalonia. In its three and a half decades of history, the PSC has combined these two identities, called its “two souls”. Now, “the Spanish soul” seems to have won the internal battle. In parallel, some of its more pro-Catalan members have abandoned the party, such as the Maragall brothers, who ruled the party in the late 1990s and early 2000s and the Catalan Government between 2003 and 2006.

In the last Catalan elections, organised in November 2010, the PSC had its worst defeat ever, obtaining just 28 seats in the 135-seat Catalan Parliament. All the recent polls indicate that in the next elections – to be held in one month – the PSC might obtain even worse results, receiving between 18 and 22 seats. The PSC’s fall is to be added to the PSOE’s fall throughout Spain. This would change Catalonia’s electoral map, as the PSC risks not being the second party anymore. In addition, because of its “two souls”, the PSC was merging to electoral bases: the more pro-Spain unity socialists (often from Spanish-speaking backgrounds) and the more pro-Catalan singularity socialists (often from Catalan-speaking backgrounds). With its latest move, the PSC risks losing this second group, if it has not already lost it. Therefore, the PSC might no longer be the party grouping these two social groups, which was a powerful social asset, fostering social cohesion.